Designed November 2011

Forward

My entrepreneurial experience began at the age of 18 and has spanned only 3

years. Nevertheless, in that short time I have constructed a potent point of

view about what it means to be an entrepreneur. I have indulged in

opportunities that very few others my age have. I spent time learning the

Zen of entrepreneurship while interning with a web startup, learning form

the best at a top 10 startup accelerator and leading my own startup venture. I

have traveled to Hong Kong and Argentina in pursuit of adventure and new

experiences. I even started an entrepreneurship club in the hopes of passing

on what I have learned so far and to give the next round of entrepreneurs a

hand up.

This manifesto is a public statement of my theory on how to be a successful

young entrepreneur. It is my hope that this perspective will be valuable to

other young entrepreneurs, mature entrepreneurs, and my future self. I have

seen many manifestos, but I have yet to see a definitive piece for young

entrepreneurs by young entrepreneurs. It is my hope that you will read this

manifesto well and share it with your friends.

Please Enjoy,

Trent Infield

1. Life is a Game, Roll the Dice

2. Failure is Learning

3. Learning is Glorious

4. Go Against the Flow

5. Own Your Ideas

6. Build for You

7. Questions are Everything

8. Get it Done

9. Organize the Chaos

10.Delete Distractions

12. Know your Decision Making Process

13. Live on Fire

14. Achieve Balance

15. Build your Community

16. Be a Traveler

17. Communicate Effectively

18. Know your Story

18. Train Like an Athlete

19. Silence the Voice of Judgment

20. Trust your Gut

Life is a Game, Roll the Dice

Have fun playing the game of life and others will want to play with you. You set the rules because you define success and what you are willing to endure. Understand that you are playing for yourself but you are not alone and your actions will affect others. Reconcile the urge to be a part of other people’s game. Life is best lived taking risks and chasing opportunities

Failure is Learning

Failing is the best way to learn something . Even the most successful entrepreneurs fail regularly. Actually, that failure is part of why they are successful. Learn the discipline of proper failure . Fail fast and learn from the failure so you do not make the same mistakes again.

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts”

– Winston Churchill

Learning is Glorious

Learning is often viewed as a means to an end. College students study so they can get a job, accumulate money, accumulate things, and then finally retire. For entrepreneurs, learning is a part of the journey. Learning is the fuel that drives innovation and growth. As we learn we are also discovering how to learn, and that is the key to living a fulfilling life. Be curious and committed to being a life-long learner “Anyone who stops learning is old, whether

at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young.”

– Henry Ford

Go Against the Flow

My grandfather once said “If you see everyone doing one thing, there is a good chance you should do the opposite.” If you are going to be an entrepreneur you will have to think and act differently than everyone else. The status quo is the enemy of the entrepreneur. You must develop blinders so you can ignore what others are doing, that way you can properly focus on what you are doing. If you are trying to compare yourself to your I-banking friend who drives a BMW, you are missing the point. “I'm not interested in preserving the status

quo; I want to overthrow it..” – Niccolo Machiavelli

Own your Ideas

When it comes to life, there is nothing worse than living based on the ideas of others. Live a life based on your own ideas; not those of your parents, media, or even your friends. A life of passion can only stem from a genuine worldview. Only you can craft your genuine worldview. People should have an emotional reaction to you because you have a clear set of principles and characteristics. You should do what you do because you want to do it and for no other reason. “If you do not express your own original

ideas, if you do not listen to your own being, you will have betrayed yourself.”

– Dr. Rollo May

Build for you

In a world of exams, homework, projects and chores it is important to take time to build things for you. If you are only creating because you are tasked by an extrinsic force you do not own the creative output or your own creative force. These things do not have to be huge, but they do have to be commissioned by you for you. As an entrepreneur there will always be more projects that can get done and you can easily forget about you – don’t.

Questions are Everything

Questions get answers and answers lead to action. Questions show interest, intellect and make an impression on the questioned. Questions are an open opportunity to display curiosity and a desire to engage with concepts. The right questions lead to second and third answers which are the best kind. Furthermore, questions lead to follow up and networking opportunities. Ask questions!

“Successful people ask better questions, and as a result, they get better answers.”

– Tony Robbins

Get it Done

When it is time to work it is imperative that you are getting it done. It is a cliché to work smarter not harder, but I find you must work harder and smarter if you want to succeed as an entrepreneur. You cannot truly enjoy relaxing or playtime if you haven’t gotten what you need to get done. Work efficiently and focus on outputs. Do not procrastinate.

Organize the Chaos

Have a place for everything and get everything in its place. When you have a task or an idea write it down or you will lose it. If your ideas and tasks aren’t organized in a way you trust, the tasks will just float around in your brain and serve as a distraction. Once everything is organized, set an expected time that you think it will take to complete each item. You don’t have to be exactly right. You will get better and better at predicting how long it will take to complete a task with experience. Set priorities for everything and stick to them.

“The secret of all victory lies in the organization of the non-obvious.”

– Marcus Aurelius

Delete Distractions

Close out the Facebook, turn off the email, and shut out the distractions that are holding you back from both being creative and getting things done. When our brains are inundated with distractions they cannot be creative. A distracted mind is also less productive than a singly focused mind. Get rid of the hard to beat distractions such has venomous friends and other similar influences. Alcohol, Caffeine, and other drugs can be dangerous distractions in the wrong hands, especially if they create dependency.

Know your Decision Making Process

Having a decision making process can make entrepreneurial life much easier. When it comes time to make a decision, ignore sunk costs and only consider the future benefits and costs. It can also be useful to look at the opposite case and inspect some hypothetical scenarios. Lay out alternatives and then make the call. Remember, any decision is better than indecision.

Live on Fire

When you are doing what you are meant to do you will feel it, I guarantee it. You will feel like you are on fire. I have had the feeling several times and it was the greatest sort of euphoria. For me, living on fire means embodying your passions, sharing your vision, and living your dream. If you wake up on too many consecutive days wondering why you are doing what you are doing then you are not living on fire. On the other hand, if you can say that you wouldn’t have it any other way you are likely living on fire. “The most powerful weapon on earth is the

human soul on fire” – Field Marshal Ferdinand Foch

Achieve Balance

Finding the correct balance of activities is essential to living an entrepreneurial lifestyle. Take the time to celebrate success, enjoy the moment, and be with friends. Avoid burnout by giving your most precious muscle, your brain, proper rest. Avoid spreading yourself too thin by being selective and deliberate in what opportunities you choose to pursue.

Build your Community

While we may all be in our own game, that doesn’t mean we aren’t playing with others. Build your community and fill it with the people you want to spend time with. Make time for your family and make an extra effort to be a good friend. It has been said that you will be the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with, so pick the right people.

Be a Traveler

Travelling has been the single best way for me to come up with new ideas. The new viewpoints and scenery that you come across while traveling can spark massive creativity and personal growth. Travelers experience new cultures and conquer new challenges much in the same way an entrepreneur does.

Communicate Effectively

Communication is a two way street. Be perceptive to how other perceive you and how you communicate with them. Tailor your communication style to your audience. Understand the different communication styles of men and women and leverage them to become a better communicator. Be conscientious of other people’s feelings. Do not say anything to rebuke others.

“When dealing with people, remember you are not dealing with creatures of logic, but creatures of emotion.”

– Dale Carnegie

Know your Story

You must absolutely have an answer to the question “ Tell me about yourself.” Know your story and how to tell it. Being interesting is the first step to getting people to take interest in you and what you do. Stories are also very powerful ways that we connect with others.

Train Like an Athlete

Entrepreneurship is a full contact sport. I find that I am at my most productive when my mind and body are actively in training with a goal in mind. Getting exercise 3 days a week is a must to maintain healthy baseline. You can also train your brain to read faster, remember more, and process information faster. Proper training can make a huge difference.

Silence the Voice of Judgment

The Voice of Judgment (VOJ)is that little voice in the back of your head that tells you that you aren’t good enough and that people will laugh at you. Its sole purpose is to limit you. The VOJ will kill your dreams if you let it. Defeat you VOJ by accepting that failure and embarrassment are simply outcomes and nothing to be feared. Do not listen to other people who have been infected by their VOJ. They only want to see you cowed by the VOJ in the same way they have been. “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself-

-nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.”

– Franklin Roosevelt

Trust your Gut

At the end of the day, creativity and entrepreneurship are both difficult pursuits. They are emotional, technical, and multi-faceted. The surest way to make sure you are on the right path is to trust your gut. Let your intuition guide you to the right course of action.

“And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

– Steve Jobs